Hydroponics has inspired people around the world to experiment with the process of growing crops without soil. But the practice has grown faster in some areas of the world than others. Why is that?
In this blog, we’ll discuss where hydroponics is used, where its growing fastest, and explain why these areas are such hotbeds for growing crops without soil.
Where is Hydroponics Used?
While hydroponics is gaining interest in many places around the world, there’s few places on earth that have supported the growth of this nascent industry more then the three countries we note in this blog.
But before we get to our list, what influences the development of hydroponics in a particular country or region? Here’s a few explanations:
- Public support/funding
- Viability of agriculture businesses
- Favorable government policies
- Lack or overuse of agricultural lands
- Climate factors influence the viability of traditional agriculture, and can upset farming trends
Singapore
In the city-state of Singapore, hydroponics is meeting the needs of a growing population in a sustainable way.
The Singapore Food Agency has published articles about the viability of hydroponics, discussing the benefits of the practice, especially for urban crop development. Singapore imports more than 90% of the food required to feed its dense population of 5.64 million Singaporeans.
Singapore is governed by a market economy, but the People’s Action Party “PAP” has also utilized elements of central planning, developing the small city state into an Asian economic force to be reckoned with.
The Singapore food agency, an official part of the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment, oversees food safety and security in the island country.
The agency’s primary task is to increase the percentage of food produced in the city, with a target of 30% of all food consumption coming from local production by the year 2030. It’s a challenging task, especially because food farms occupy about 1% of land on the island.
That’s why it makes sense that the agency has promoted hydroponics as a way for commercial enterprises to meet the needs of local food consumers. The city’s food development includes rooftop gardens and large vertical farms, some of which are located at the top of skyscrapers in the city.
Australia
Australia is a very hot, dry country. On its southern coasts, the climate is similar to the Mediterranean, while its eastern side is a humid subtropic environment. The center and much of the west coast of country is composed of desolate, hot deserts.
Only 4.06% of land in Australia is arable. It can only grow crops in the southwestern and eastern coastal regions of the country. Australia’s interior deserts, a larger portion of its landmass, were considered impossible to farm, until a few years ago.
Sundrop Farms, one of the largest hydroponic farms in the country is doing just that. With nearly 50 acres of greenhouse hydroponic area, powered with a large solar tower that stands at over 415 ft tall. The farm produces high-quality Truss tomatoes, a popular variety in Australia. It produces 15% of all tomatoes in the country, and impressive feat for a country of Australia’s size.
China
China is one of the fastest growing regions for hydroponic cultivation. With a population of 1.4 billion people, it only makes sense for the country to develop self-sufficiency around food production. For such a large country, China has surprisingly little agricultural land.
Compare China to the second Asian giant, India. China only has 11.6% of its geography in arable land, while India’s territory is 51.95% arable land, the most in the world. With this in mind, China’s governing authorities have incentivized hydroponics to cultivate highly productive urban farms. Chinese citizens have continued ongoing trends of moving from rural areas to urban regions, further pressuring rural food-producing regions.
The industry is developing fastest in Chengdu, in Sichuan province. A new 20-story vertical farm opened there in late 2023, and the entire operation is unmanned, efficiently growing crops with automation. China faces challenges in further modernizing agricultural production in the city, but it seems as if hydroponics will continue to be a part of that development.
Summary
In conclusion, the rise of hydroponics in Singapore, Australia, and China underscores the adaptability and resilience of agriculture in the face of diverse challenges.
Hydroponics is a promising advancement in the history of agriculture. Many places around the world, even some not mentioned on our list, are growing crops hydroponically to meet the demands of growing urban populations.
We also create our systems with climate-controlled environment in mind, with strong HVAC units that you can customize to create the ideal interior climate for your growing crops. The examples in this blog highlight how innovation and government support can drive the adoption of new agricultural practices.
Interested in learning more about how you can own and operate a hydroponic container farm? At Pure Greens, we manufacture custom and pre-designed turnkey container farms that are more portable than similar farm systems.
Contact us for more information today.
